# US 6,724,230 B2 · Semiconductor integrated circuit

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 6,724,230 B2
- Document ID: US6724230B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/253,935
- Filed: 2002-09-25
- Published: 2003-03-27
- Granted: 2004-04-20
- Earliest claimed: 2001-09-26
- Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
- Inventors: Osamu Hirabayashi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6724230B2

## CPC

- H03K 5/133: using a chain of active delay devices
- H03L 7/0995: {the oscillator comprising a ring oscillator}
- H03K 2005/00026: {controlled by an analog electrical signal, e.g. obtained after conversion by a D/A converter}
- H03K 2005/00078: {Fixed delay}
- H03K 2005/00208: {using differential stages}
- H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M)
- H03L: AUTOMATIC CONTROL, STARTING, SYNCHRONISATION OR STABILISATION OF GENERATORS OF ELECTRONIC OSCILLATIONS OR PULSES (generation of oscillations H03B)

## Abstract

A semiconductor integrated circuit comprising a voltage controlled delay cell including a first voltage controlled resistor and a current source transistor of a MOS type differential amplifier circuit, the first voltage controlled resistor functioning as a load resistor, wherein a resistance value of the first voltage controlled resistor is controlled according to a first bias voltage, and a current of the current source transistor is controlled according to a second bias voltage, and a bias circuit including a first replica circuit and a second replica circuit, the first replica circuit having a structure equivalent to that of the voltage controlled delay cell, the second replica circuit having a structure equivalent to a structure in which the first voltage controlled resistor is replaced by a constant resistor, the bias circuit configured to generate and supply the first bias voltage and the second bias voltage to the voltage controlled delay cell.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor integrated circuit comprising:
a differential type voltage controlled delay cell including a first voltage controlled resistor element and a current source transistor of a MOS type differential amplifier circuit, the first voltage controlled resistor element functioning as a load resistor, wherein a resistance value of the first voltage controlled resistor element is controlled according to a first bias voltage, and a current of the current source transistor is controlled according to a second bias voltage; and
a bias circuit including a first replica circuit and a second replica circuit, the first replica circuit having a structure equivalent to that of the voltage controlled delay cell, the second replica circuit having a structure equivalent to a structure in which the first voltage controlled resistor element of the voltage controlled delay cell is replaced by a constant resistor element, the bias circuit configured to generate and supply the first bias voltage and the second bias voltage to the voltage controlled delay cell.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, in which the bias circuit including:
the first replica circuit wherein including a second voltage controlled resistor element which has a structure equivalent to that of the first voltage controlled resistor element of the voltage controlled delay cell and functions as a load resistor of a first MOS transistor, wherein a resistance value of the second voltage controlled resistor element functioning as the load resistor of the first MOS transistor is controlled according to an input control voltage,
the second replica circuit wherein the constant resistor element functions as a load resistor of a second MOS transistor, and an end of the constant resistor element on a side of the second MOS transistor is connected to an end of the second voltage controlled resistor element of the first replica circuit on a side of the first MOS transistor,
a buffer circuit including a third voltage controlled resistor element which has a structure equivalent to that of the first voltage controlled resistor element of the voltage controlled delay cell and functions as a load resistor of a third MOS transistor, the buffer circuit configured to generate and supply the first bias voltage to the first voltage controlled resistor element of the voltage controlled delay cell, and
the MOS type differential amplifier circuit configured to compare a voltage of a common connection node of the second voltage controlled resistor element of the first replica circuit and the constant resistor element of the second replica circuit with the input control voltage to generate a second bias voltage and feed-back control currents flowing through the first MOS transistor the second MOS transistors the third MOS transistor and a current source transistor of the MOS type differential amplifier circuit to make the voltage of a common connection node and the input control voltage equal to each other,
wherein the first bias voltage generated by the buffer circuit and the input control voltage have different voltage values to each other, and a current flowing through the first voltage controlled resistor element of the voltage controlled delay cell equals to a current of an average of a current flowing through the second voltage controlled resistor element of the first replica circuit and a current flowing through the constant resistor element of the second replica circuit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, in which the second replica circuit further includes a switch element to cut off a path of the current flowing through the constant resistor element of the second replica circuit, the switch element being selectively driven by a control input.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

A semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 2, in which the second replica circuit further includes a switch element to cut off a path of the current flowing through the constant resistor element of the second replica circuit, the switch element being selectively driven by a control input.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, in which the second replica circuit includes a plurality of circuits in each of which the constant resistor element functions as a load resistor of a MOS transistor and each including a switch element to cut off a path of the current flowing through the constant resistor element, the switch element being selectively driven by a control input.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

A semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 2, in which the second replica circuit includes a plurality of circuits in each of which the constant resistor element functions as a load resistor of the second MOS transistor and each including a switch element to cut off a path of the current flowing through the constant resistor element, the switch element being selectively driven by a control input.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, in which the constant resistor element is formed of a passive element.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of the voltage controlled delay cells connected in a ring form and constituting a voltage controlled oscillator.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

A semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 8, further comprising a frequency divider configured to divide an output of the voltage controlled oscillator by 1/N and a multiplexer configured to select one of the output of the voltage controlled oscillator and an output of the frequency divider.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

A semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 8, in which a phase locked loop is formed of the voltage controlled oscillator.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of the voltage controlled delay cells connected in a cascade form and constituting a voltage controlled delay circuit.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

A semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 11, in which the voltage controlled delay circuit is used in a delay locked loop.